


Button

by ShionsTear



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Because I can, Birthday Cake, Bittersweet, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Established Relationship, Fluff, Graduation, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, Memories, Oh And They're Also All The Same Age, Parting, Post-Graduation, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-03-06 01:49:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18841180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShionsTear/pseuds/ShionsTear
Summary: "That last sunset that binds us together will never be forgotten. Even if everything else were to disappear... That button alone won't come undone."





	Button

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, until then.” he tiptoed and pecked his boyfriend on the cheek. “Don’t be late, Torao.” a smile appeared on his face.

“Hmph, as if I’d be late for that.” he crossed his arms. “I’ll text you later, Minami.”

“Very well. Bye bye.”

“Bye.” Torao quickly raised an arm and the two parted ways.

It had been the same procedure for the past three years of high school. They’d walk home together until that one crossroads where they had to go into opposite directions. From time to time they decided to take a detour and go on a spontaneous after school date, but other than that it had always been the same.

While walking home, Torao couldn’t help but think of the next day. _Graduation, huh?_ he thought to himself. He still didn’t quite realize what that meant. How would he, he was living every moment of his life in the _now_ ¸ not worrying about the _then_. That _then_ was so far into the future, why would he need to worry about it? He was happy that he could spend almost all of his time with Minami, that’s all that mattered to him.

But the _then_ came faster than he would’ve liked.

“Hah… better not think about it. Once I get home I’ll just get ready for tomorrow and then…” he stopped mid-sentence. He knew what would happen the next day. He had known for quite some time already, yet he tried to ignore it. “Why did it come to this…” he asked himself, but he didn’t find the courage to answer, even though he knew the why.

When he got home he walked upstairs to his room and threw his bag onto his couch. He buttoned up his gakuran and threw it onto the couch as well. He flopped down on the bed and sighed.

“So much for getting ready.” he muffled into his pillow. He turned around and grabbed his phone from his pocket.

[I’m home] he texted Minami.

On the receiving end of the message a phone vibrated in response. Minami grabbed his phone and smiled at the notification on its screen. He put the phone back, continued walking and turned into the shopping district.

“Oh, sonny! Back from school, are ya?”

“Good afternoon. Yes, I am.” Minami smiled at the man from the bakery.

“Greet yer parents.” the man laughed.

“Will do, have a nice day.” he said and continued on his way.

“Hey Natsume, wanna try my new ice cream flavour?”

“Maybe another time, thank you.”

“My, Minami-kun! Your skin looks so beautiful today, did you do anything to it?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, no.”

Everyone in the shopping district knew him, and he knew everyone as well; that was just how things worked there, they were all like a little big family.

“Minami! Come here real quick.” the owner of the egg shop called out to him.

“Is something the matter, Tamaya-san?”

“Nah, but your mom called me to ask for some eggs and told me to give them to you when you pass by.”

“Is she busy with the shop again?” Minami sighed as he grabbed the bag with eggs. “I told her to take it easy.”

“Haha, yes, seems like it.” Tamaya laughed. “Take care.”

“Thank you very much.” he bowed down and continued on his way.

He arrived home and was greeted with a rather big crowd of people in front of their store. Familiar hands peeked out from the crowd and waved at him.

“Minami dear, can you help me out a bit?”

“Sure, let me just put these eggs away.”

“Oh you got them, good. And thank you. And welcome back.”

“I’m home.” he sighed yet smiled, his mother was always the same. No matter how often he’d tell her not to showcase their new flowers at the same time, she wouldn’t listen. _I just want everyone to be happy about the flowers!_ was what she’d always answer. He entered through the back door, went into the kitchen to put the eggs into the fridge, laid aside his bag, quickly took of his gakuran jacket and put on the shop’s apron.

The sun had already started setting when he finished helping out his mother in the flower shop. After he took off the apron again, he climbed up the stairs to his room and finally managed to answer the earlier message.

Torao had been sitting on the floor, leaning onto his bed, reading comics. His phone on the bed ringed and he reached for it.

[I’m sorry, I had to help out in the store.] Minami answered.

[No problem.]

[So have you prepared everything for tomorrow already?]

[Sure.]

[I bet you’re just reading comics again.]

Torao frowned and dialled a number.

At the same time, Minami’s phone started ringing. He answered the call with a smile.

“Why do you ask if you know the answer already!?”

“Fufu, please excuse me.” Minami chuckled.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get read soon enough.” he answered and closed the comic that he was reading. “Also…”

“Yes?”

“I wanted to…” _ask you about tomorrow_ , Torao finished the sentence in his thoughts, he didn’t manage to say it out loud. “Nothing.”

“Everything okay?”

“Sure.” he lied.

“Alright.” Minami knew that he lied. After all, it wasn’t all too okay for him either.

“Anyway, I’ll let you get ready too.”

“I see.”

“Maybe I’ll text you later again, okay?”

“Please do.” Minami smiled.

“’Kay. Love you.”

“…I love you too, Torao.” he said as he ended the call. He looked at the screen for a while afterwards. The background was a picture of Torao kissing him on the cheeks as he himself was laughing. “Don’t waver now…” he whispered to himself and put his phone away.

The two had known each other for quite some time already. They first met when they were in kindergarten. Torao had gone shopping with his mother in the shopping district and then he had seen another kid with a balloon of his favourite super hero at the time. So without thinking about it, he left his mother’s side and followed the boy, wanting to ask him where he got that balloon. But the streets were so crowded that he both lost the child with the balloon and his mother out of sight.

He wandered around the shopping district with slightly teary eyes, trying to find the way back to his mother. But then all of a sudden, he bumped into someone and almost fell down.

“Oh, I’m sorry, are you alright?” a gentle voice asked him. Torao looked at the source of the voice and his tears seemed to dry at once. A boy – at the time, Torao thought that he was a girl because Minami was so pretty and only years later Torao would tell him about it – carrying a basket with white carnations. Torao, wanting to play the brave, dried his tears and told Minami what had happened.

The young Minami decided to help him out and show him the way back to his mother. So he grabbed Torao’s hand and didn’t let go of it to make sure he wouldn’t get lost again. When they found his mother again, he thanked Minami and asked if they could meet again to play together. Minami smiled and agreed to it. That was how they met each other.

After that encounter they would spend almost all of their free time together. Whatever they were talking about, Torao would always go off on tangents and tell Minami about his favourite super hero shows and comics. And even though Minami wasn’t that interested in those, he enjoyed talking to Torao so he didn’t really mind.

As they grew older their relationship grew gradually as well. They became even closer friends when they entered primary school. And luckily, they ended up in the same school, though not the same class. Torao would always hope to get into the same class as Minami, but in none of those six years did they share a class. It was around the second year of primary school that Minami entered his first piano competition.

He had been taking piano lessons since he was 7 years old. At first, he only ever played for himself. But one day, Torao went to his home because he wanted to show Minami his new action figure and happened to arrive earlier than planned and caught a glimpse of him playing on the piano. He knew that Minami was practising the piano, but he had never listened to him before then.

It was Torao that pushed Minami to participate in the competition and in the end he even won first place. Torao still remembers how Minami had hugged him tightly after they announced the winner.

“See! I knew you’d win!” Torao said as he hugged him back.

“I can’t believe this… I’ll have to thank my teacher later.” Minami said, tears of joy flowing down his cheeks.

“Hmph, that Sakura guy? Just him?”

“Fufu, are you jealous Midou-kun?”

“Pff, no? Why would I be?!”

“Thank you very much for believing in me.” he smiled brightly.

“…s-sure.”

He kept on participating in different competitions and he’d almost always win. Though even when he didn’t win, he wouldn’t let that stop him. He was convinced that if he didn’t have anyone to rely on, he would’ve had given up at some point. But knowing that Torao would be there for him was reassuring.

 

“Okay, everything’s ready now.” Minami said to himself. He looked around his room and smiled as he approached the big corkboard on the wall. It was filled with dozens of photographs of himself, Torao and their two other friends, Touma and Haruka. He took one of the pictures off the board and looked at it closely. A smiling Torao that was showing a peace sign could be seen on it.

“Minami dear, did you pack everything already?” the door to his room opened and his mother entered.

“I did, at least for now. If I need more things then I’ll let you know.” he answered and put the picture back to where it belonged.

“Are you really sure about this?” she asked as she sat down on his bed.

“I am.” he sat down next to her. “Besides, everything is booked and all the paperwork had been dealt with already too. I couldn’t possibly not do it now.”

“You can. I just want you to be completely sure about it. I want you to choose whatever makes you the happiest.”

“I know.” he said. “I know. Thank you.”

“Okay. Dinner will be ready soon.” she stood up again and left.

“Thanks, I’ll be down in a bit.” he answered with a slightly forced smile. After she had left, he let himself fall down on his bed and closed his eyes. “…don’t waver now.”

 

At the same time, Torao was sitting in front of the TV, watching the new episode of a currently airing super hero show. He was slurping noodles out of a cup ramen cup; his mother was working late and since the two were living alone and he wasn’t the best cook, he decided on cup ramen. His parents divorced when he was in middle school and while he got to live with his mother, his older brother went to live with his father.

He neither noticed how time passed nor how he fell asleep on the couch while the TV was still on. His mother arrived and had to wake him up and make him go to bed.

“Seriously Torao, you’re not ten anymore.”

“Sorry.” he yawned and stretched. “I’ll head to bed.”

“Good night.” she answered and noticed the meal she had left for Torao, ready to be heat up. “Wait, why didn’t you eat what I left you?”

“Had cup ramen. Thought rather than me you’d need a proper meal after work, so you can eat it. Night.”

“Torao, wait a seco---“ but Torao went upstairs already. “Hah, this kid, what am I going to do with him…” she sighed but chuckled. “Thank you for the meal.” she sat down and started eating.

Before lying down on his bed, he remembered that he had promised Minami to text him.

“Crap.” he took his phone and sat down on his bed. “I wonder if he’s still awake.” he unlocked it and found a message from Minami.

[Today was the day on which the new episode aired, right? Fufu, judging by the fact that you didn’t send me anything, I’ll just assume that you’ve fallen asleep in front of the TV again. I wish I could’ve seen your sleeping face, I’m sure it looked very charming. I’ll see you tomorrow then, good night, Torao.]

[Sorry, see you tomorrow. Night.] he typed. [Oh and good morning when you read this.] he added and sent the message. He laid down on his bed and closed his eyes.

“I wish tomorrow would never come.”

 

 

During the night, Torao had a dream.

It was a dream of their time in middle school and about how they met Touma and Haruka. It was their second year and Minami and he were finally in the same class. By that time they had already become inseparable and were never seen without the other. One time during home ec it just so happened that not only the other two members of Torao’s and Minami’s group were absent, but also two students of yet another group as well, all four due to the flu that was going around in school.

Their teacher decided to put the two halved groups together and let them prepare the meal as one group. That was how they first talked to Touma and Haruka. They were in the same class and they knew each other – Touma was working as the class representative – but never really talked to each other. Especially since Haruka was rumoured to be extremely shy, only ever talking to his only friend Touma.

“Pleased to work with you, Inumaru-kun, Isumi-kun.” Minami said with a smile.

“Me too!” Touma answered.

“Hmph.” Haruka only crossed his arms.

“’Kay so today’s meal is uhh…” Torao turned around to see what was written on the blackboard. “Curry! That should be easy enough to do, right Minami.”

“Well, I’m sure I can handle. How about you three?”

“I’ll boil the rice.” Haruka answered.

“Alright.”

“I can cut the vegetables? I guess?” Touma suggested.

“Oh lemme in on that too, Touma.” Torao laughed. “Sounds like something I can’t mess up.”

“Actually, that’s the reason why I want to do it too.” he laughed as well.

“Very well, then I shall prepare the meat and the roux. Okay?” Minami said and tied his hair to a small pony tail.

“Got it!” the other two said in unison, only Haruka started his job silently.

As Minami started doing his part of the meal, he observed the others. Haruka was filling the rice into the rice cooker, not much he could do wrong there. Then he shifted his gaze to the other two.

“Hey, Midou---“

“You can call me Torao.”

“Alright. How small do you think we need to cut the vegetables, Torao?” Touma asked.

“I have no idea.”

“Hmm…”

“Well if they’re small enough that it fits your mouth, should be enough, right?”

“Ohh! That sounds good, let’s go with that!”

“Also why are there so many different knives, can’t you just use one for everything?”

“Maybe some work better for specific things?”

“How the hell should I know which is for what then!?” he stared at the knives and heard a chuckle from the side. “What?” he looked at Minami.

“Nothing. I’m sure you can handle it just wonderful.” he smiled.

“Minami, I’m done with the rice. What can I do now?” Haruka asked.

“Hmm, it’s a bit early maybe, but if you’d like, you could set the table for us?” he suggested. Unlike the rumours, Haruka didn’t seem to be all that shy. If anything he was just bad with words, Minami thought.

“Okay.” he nodded and continued on his way.

At first Minami just wanted to observe Torao and Touma helplessly cutting the vegetables, but after a moment he realized that he’d have to eat from it too, so he gave them some advice. Before he knew it he became somewhat of the leader of their little cooking group.

“Alright, I’m almost done with the curry.” Minami said after a while. “How’s the rice?”

“Should be done by now, right Haru?” Touma asked.

“Yeah.” Haruka approached the rice cooker and opened the lid. A small cloud of smoke escaped the electric pot and startled him. “E-ehhh!?”

“Something smells burned.” Torao sniffed the air.

“H-Haru, what did you do!?”

“N-nothing!?” his cheeks flushed red with blood. “I just put the rice in and clicked on the button!”

“What about the water?”

“…which water?”

“You have to put water inside too!” Touma exclaimed.

“Wha-wha…” he turned even redder. “Th-Then why didn’t you tell me!!”

“I thought you’d know that!”

“Stupid Touma!”

“Huh!? Why am I---“ he was interrupted by Torao’s laugh.

“What’s so funny!?” the other two said at the same time.

“Reminds me of that one time I wanted to make rice porridge for Minami when he was out with a cold. I burned the rice as well.” he snorted. “Yet he still ate all of it.”

“I had never tried porridge with fried rice-like ingredients, but it was edible.” Minami said. “And I was hungry.” he turned to Haruka. “Don’t worry about it, Isumi-kun. I’m sure we can still eat it, okay?”

“…o-okay.” Haruka looked down in embarrassment. “…s-sorry…” he said almost inaudibly. Torao put his hand on Haruka’s head and ruffled through his hair.

“No big deal, you can try again next time.”

“Next time?” Touma asked confused, but Torao just smiled in response.

After that incident the four started hanging out together a lot more frequently and soon became friends.

 

 

Torao woke up and opened his eyes. The sun was still rising but the first rays light were already falling into his room.

“Graduation, huh?” he sat up on his bed and stretched his arms. He grabbed the phone that was lying on his bedside table and checked it for new messages. There were two, one from Minami and one from _MagiKonaFan63_ , as the display read. “Nagi?” Minami had sent him a thank you and good morning message, like he always did. “He woke up way too early as always.” he chuckled and answered. After that, he opened the other message.

[ _OH!_ Torao! I know it is the middle of the night for you, but I have to ask you about today’s – or yesterday’s, in your case – episode! It was _amazing_ , wasn’t it!? _Please_ let me know what you thought about it as soon as possible.]

“Of course it’s about that.” he laughed. He decided to answer him later on his way to school. Torao met Nagi over a year ago, though they never actually _met_ face to face. They got to know each other on a messenger website by pure chance and had been writing each other ever since. Even if they had never met yet, Torao considered him a close friend as well, despite what others told him.

When he had told Minami and the others about Nagi, Touma was the first one to be worried about him.

“What if he’s some shady guy from overseas!? You don’t know what he could be working as!”

“He lives somewhere in Europe or something, even if he were, we’re probably not gonna meet any time soon.” Torao explained.

“Europe? Don’t they have like lots of kings and stuff?” Haruka asked, not really paying attention to the conversation as he was typing on his phone.

“You’re not… entirely wrong, Haruka-kun.” Minami smiled and decided not to comment on it any further.

“…” Touma was thinking about something.

“What?” Torao asked.

“What if he’s the prince of a country or something!!!”

“Haha, sure. And that prince likes anime, of course.” Torao started laughing. “And then he made an account on a website and called himself MagiKonaFan63.”

“Why 63 though?”

“He said 1 to 62 were taken already.”

“Oh.”

Torao chuckled after that memory had flashed through his mind. He put the phone down again and turned around to the window.

“Looks like it’s gonna be sunny today, huh? Unlike last time.”

 

The last time he was referring to was their graduation from middle school. He would probably always remember that day. It was raining heavily, so after the final speech was over and they had their certificates, instead of celebrating outside in the courtyard like it was usually done, they stayed inside the gym.

Touma, Haruka and Minami were sitting on some chairs next to the exit. Despite the rain, the temperature was still quite high and they appreciated the fresh air blowing in.

“Touma?” Haruka asked suddenly.

“Hm?” he turned to him.

“Why do all those girls want Torao’s second button from his uniform?”

“You don’t know?” Touma asked back. Minami had been reading in a book until then, but that question caught his interest.

“No dummy, that’s why I asked.”

“It’s said that if you give someone the second button of your gakuran jacket then that equals a heartfelt confession of love. Though normally it’s the guy who gives it to someone because he wants to confess.” he explained.

“Heh, so all those girls just want to act like he’s giving them the button?”

“Looks like it, he sure is surrounded by a lot.”

“How stupid.” his curiosity was stilled so Haruka returned to his phone game.

“I wonder why it’s on the day of graduation though?” now Touma was curious himself. “Maybe because you get a new uniform in the new school so you don’t need the old one anymore?”

“That could be one of the reasons, but I think it might be the feeling of _now or never_ too.”

“Ohh…”

“Graduating often means parting. From teachers, classmates, friends… even potential loves. So if you don’t confess then you could easy lose your chance to a potential future together.” Minami closed his eyes. “At least that’s how I see it.”

“I understand.” Touma nodded in agreement. “Oh, Tora! Welcome back!”

“Phew, I finally managed to get away from them. They all wanted a button from my jacket, crazy huh?”

“You didn’t give it to anyone?” Touma wanted to know.

“Nah, why should I?” Torao started laughing.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to catch some fresh air.” Minami stood up and grabbed his umbrella from under the chair.

“Now? Mina, it’s pouring down!” Touma exclaimed.

“It’s alright, I have my umbrella. I’ll be right back.” he smiled and went outside. Torao watched him walk outside and stood there immobilized for a moment. But then all of a sudden he started dashing after him.

“Minami, wait!”

“Tora!? Where are you goi---hey!!” but Touma was ignored.

“I still wonder why Torao and Minami didn’t confess to each other yet…” Haruka whispered to himself.

“Did you say anything, Haru?”

“Nothing.”

“Minami!” Torao yelled and made him stop. Minami turned around under his umbrella and saw him standing in the pouring rain.

“Torao? What are you doing!? You’re going to watch a cold if you don’t---“ he started walking towards Torao but suddenly stopped. Torao had torn off the second button of his jacket and was approaching Minami. “…what…”

He got closer to him and stopped under the umbrella.

“I… think I love you, Minami. Please go out with me.” he said as he looked into the other’s eyes. He grabbed Minami’s hand, put the button in his palm, closed it and held the hand firmly in his.

“I…” Minami was a loss for words.

“I-if you don’t want then I get it… uhm… though I hope we can still stay friends?”

“…”

“…crap I didn’t think this through.”

“Okay.” Minami said.

“…huh?”

“I think I’d… like to go out with you too…” Minami was averting his gaze.

“Really?!”

“Y-yes.” Minami nodded. “I didn’t think this would happen, but… I think I wouldn’t mind if our relationship goes that way, though I didn’t expect it. But it makes me happy. I think I might have always---“

“You talk too much again.” Torao said, put an arm around Minami’s head and kissed him. Minami let go of the umbrella in surprise, but only seconds later he put one hand on Torao’s cheek and the other arm around his back while closing his eyes.

They were kissing and hugging in the pouring rain as if they were the only people on earth, not caring about the fact that they were getting soaked slowly but surely.

“Wha… what happened to you two!?” Touma jumped up from his chair as they returned to the gym in drenching clothes.

“The wind… blew away the umbrella…” Torao lied.

“We did our best to try and catch it.” Minami lied as well.

“Your faces are slightly red too, I’ll go get some towels before you catch colds!” he said and ran off.

Haruka looked up from his game and noticed how Torao was missing a button on his jacket. He then looked at Minami and saw him holding something firmly in his hand.

“Hmm… Good for you two.” he said and returned to his game. He knew. At the same time, Touma returned with six towels; three for each, just to make sure.

“Here, dry yourselves. You’re really red, did anything happen?” he asked.

“Nah.” Torao answered.

“Nothing.” Minami smiled.

“Alright.”

“Stupid Touma.” Haruka mumbled to himself.

It would only take them a few days to tell Touma and Haruka about what actually happened, though Haruka had guessed it pretty spot on already.

 

Torao put on his high school gakuran for the last time.

 

Minami was already on his way to school, for the last time as well. He had agreed to play a song on the piano after the last speech during the graduation ceremony, so he had to go to school earlier to see if everything was working. He tried not to think of the fact that he’d be gone in just a few more hours. _Don’t waver now._ He kept on repeating those words to himself, hoping they’d help him stay reassured.

While walking the path to school all on his own – normally he and Torao would walk _to_ school together as well – the memory of his last birthday flashed before his mind’s eye. It was the day on which he told the others about his plans, and he clearly remembered their reactions.

He didn’t have anything planned for his 18th birthday, but little did he know that his boyfriend and two best friends had other plans in mind. They wanted to throw him a surprise party, all included. Torao wanted to bake him a cake, though the only problem was, none of the three were good at baking; nor cooking, for that matter.

“It’ll all work out somehow, no big deal.” Torao said when he went to buy the ingredients with Touma and Haruka. Luckily for them, Minami was busy with piano lessons. Normally, Torao wouldn’t want him to work on his birthday, but he didn’t mind that time, he wanted to surprise him after all.

It had been over two years since they became a couple and Torao wanted to give him a nice present. He had even secretly started a part-time job to afford it. He had never worked before because he never wanted to, but if it was for Minami’s sake he’d probably do anything.

“What kinda cake do you wanna make, Tora?” Touma asked, pushing the shopping cart.

“I want a strawberry cake.” Haruka answered.

“This isn’t about you, Haru.”

“Tch.”

“Hmm, I actually don’t know if he has a favourite cake. He doesn’t eat cake that often, he’s more of an ice cream kinda guy.”

“I see.”

“Let’s just go with strawberry.” Torao said.

“Nice!” Haruka was happy. “I’ll go get them.”

“I’ll get the other things.” he said and walked into the opposite direction.

“Wait, guys. I can’t---“ Touma was left alone, not knowing if he should follow after Haruka or Torao. “Why do they never listen to me…” he sighed, leaned onto the cart and decided to just wait where he was. Some minutes later the two came back with the ingredients and other various things they didn’t need but wanted to buy anyway.

They divided the bill by three – the cake was their collective present to Minami – paid, and headed to Minami’s house. His family was in into the plan as well and agreed to cooperate with the three.

“Alright, we’ve got a few hours until Mina comes back. Are you ready!?”

“Yeah!” Torao and Haruka said.

“Good! What’s the first step then?”

“No idea!” they said.

“Figures…” Touma sighed and grabbed his phone to look up the recipe again. Minami’s mother offered to help them bake, but they wanted to do it all on their own.

The sun began setting when Minami was on his way back home. He grabbed his phone from his bag and sent Torao a message, asking about where he was. He got a message back that he was at home, but would visit him later. But Minami didn’t know that that was a lie and that he and the others were waiting for him to return home.

When he opened the back door to his house, Minami was greeted with three confetti poppers shooting confetti at him that slowly rained down on him.

“Happy birthday Minami!!” the three said together.

“My, now that’s something I didn’t expect.” he chuckled. “Thank you.”

“Let me take your bag, Mina.” Touma said.

“Take off your jacket.” Haruka put it away for him.

“And now I’ll lead the way.” Torao said, positioned himself behind of Minami, put his hands his eyes so he couldn’t see anything and led him to the living room.

“There’s more surprises?”

“Yup.” he stopped leading once they were in front of the cake. “Alright, keep your eyes closed, I’m removing my hands. Open them when you get the signal.”

“Very well. But what’s the signal?”

“This.” Torao said and kissed Minami on the cheek. Minami smiled, opened his eyes and saw the cake that was on the table in front of him. It wasn’t the most abstract cake he had ever seen – it looked like it had been through rough times – but he immediately knew that the other three were the ones to make it for him so he couldn’t help but be happy about it.

“Thank you very much, I can’t wait to taste it.” he said as he hugged Torao. After giving a hug to the other two as well, they started eating the cake. It was an okay cake, Minami thought. There was room to grow, but maybe they could try again next year.

 _Oh, maybe they can not…_ he thought to himself.

 

After they finished eating the cake, they sat down on the couch; it was time for the presents. Touma grabbed a wrapped something that was in his bag and handed it to Minami.

“This is Haru’s and my present.”

“Thank you very much.” Minami smiled and held it in his hands. “It feels like a book of some sorts.”

“Just open it.” Haruka said.

“Alright.” he did as he was told and opened it. Inside were a pretty notebook and a fountain pen. “Oh my…”

“S-since you mentioned the other day that you needed a new notebook for your music and stuff…” Touma looked away, trying to hide the embarrassment he was feeling for some reason.

“I like it a lot, thank you very much, Touma and Haruka.”

“Hmph, you’re welcome.” Haruka crossed his arms.

“Well then I guess it’s my turn next.” Torao said. Minami nodded and put the notebook and pen on top of the couch table and turned to his boyfriend. “Here.” he grabbed into his pocket and took out a small wrapped box. “Happy birthday.”

“…” Minami held the little box in his hands, not knowing what to say, having an idea of what could possibly be inside. “Torao you…”

“Open it.”

“…okay.” Minami nodded and gently teared off the wrapping. An elegant black box emerged from underneath and he opened it. Inside was a simple, silver ring. Before he could say anything about it, tears started forming in Minami’s eyes.

“Whoa!” Touma exclaimed in surprise.

“Do you like it?” Torao smiled, but instead of getting an answer, Minami threw his arms around him. “I’ll take that as a yes.” he laughed and hugged him back.

“…thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Minami.” he said and kissed him. “Oh, I’ve got a matching one too by the way.” he remembered and grabbed another ring from his other pocket. “See mine has the character for snake engraved while yours has the one for tiger.”

“Of course it has.” Minami chuckled and dried off his tears. He took another look at the ring and smiled. “Oh, before I forget it. There’s something I need to tell you…”

“What?” Haruka asked.

“Remember that music school I wanted to attend after high school?”

“That super prestigious one in North…something?” Touma widened his yes.

“Yes, the one in Noth Meir. I’ve received a letter of acceptance today.”

“Oh my god Mina! Congrats!!” Touma seemed excited.

“Hee, not bad.” Haruka grinned.

“Does that mean you’ll be studying music there?”

“Yes, I will. I---“ he wanted to continue, but without saying anything, Torao stood up from the couch and walked to the kitchen.

“T-Tora!? What are you doing, come back!!” Touma jumped up from the couch and followed after him.

“…as I expected…” Minami looked down on the ring. Haruka shifted his eyes towards the kitchen and back at Minami. _That’s not the expression of someone being happy to have been accepted, stupid Minami_. he thought to himself.

“Tora, why did you just---“ Touma entered the kitchen and closed the door behind of him, but what he saw was unexpected.

“What do I need to do to marry?” Torao asked on the phone.

“…wha…” Touma was confused.

“My age? I’m 18, why?” Torao was talking to someone on the phone. “That’s the legal age? Well perfect then. My partner? He’s 18 too. Huh!? Yeah he’s male, what about it? What!? You can’t marry two guys!? What’s the big deal!? I don’t care if you’re sorry, you telling me we can’t marry because we’re two guys? Well fuck you!” Torao said and ended the call. “Shit.”

“T-Tora, who were you…”

“Huh? I called the local government office to---“

“Oh my god.”

“What?”

“Tora calm down, you just---“

“I know!” he yelled. “I… I know, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t tell me, go back there and tell Mina. Talk to him.”

“You’re right, I will.” he took a deep breath and put a hand on Touma’s shoulder. “Thanks man.”

“No problem.”

The two went back to the living room and Torao and Minami decided to take a walk around the shopping district and have a talk. They were holding hands the entire time, just like when they had first met all those years ago.

 

 

While reliving the memory in his mind, Minami didn’t notice how he had gotten to school already. He looked down to his hand and at the ring on his finger. The rays of the morning sun reflected on it and made him smile. He took a deep breath and entered through the school gates.

The closing ceremony came quicker than expected. Teachers and students alike were holding speeches. Tears were spilled and laughs were smiled. And Minami played one of his own songs on the piano. Torao tried to dry off the tear drops that formed in his eyes, but Haruka still noticed it and would tease him for it later.

After every student had received their certificates, they all went outside to talk with each other on the courtyard. A gently spring breeze was flowing and caused the pink petals of the trees to dance in the wind. Minami and the others gather underneath a tree that was somewhat secluded.

It was time.

“Soo… we graduated, huh?” Touma scratched the back of his head, trying to break the silence.

“No shit Sherlock.” Haruka commented.

“Haru, I was just trying to liven up the mood.” he whispered to his friend.

“Well you sure suck at it.”

“Haru…”

“Torao.” Minami said finally.

“Yeah?” they were standing in front of each other.

“My flight to Noth Meir goes tomorrow, as you know.”

“…yup.”

“I confirmed it with Sakura-san again, but it really does seem like there’s barely any connection in the academy. He also told me that it sounds like a joke, in this time and age, but they want the students to focus only on their studies, so unfortunately, I doubt we’ll be able to communicate with our phones. They’re a rather traditional school and---”

“…so you wanna break up or something?” Torao was facing the ground.

“Quite the contrary.” Minami chuckled, approached him and kissed him softly. When he let go of him, he put something in his hand. “This is a promise.”

“A button?” Torao looked at his hand.

“My second button.” Minami pointed at his jacket and the missing button. “Hold onto it and I promise that I’ll return to you when I’m done.”

“Minami…”

“So?”

“I will.” Torao closed his hand and held it close to his heart. “I promise.”

“Thank you.” Minami tilted his head and smiled.

“Uhh…” Touma sobbed.

“Wha---Touma!?” Haruka turned to him. “Why are _you_ crying?”

“This is so nice, they really love each other Haru!” he said and threw himself around Haruka’s neck.

“G-geez, act your age, will you!?” he pushed him away again.

“S-sorry. Lost my cool for a second there.” he dried off his tears and crossed his arms. The other two couldn’t help but start laughing. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking to other students and once the sun started setting, they headed on their way home. Touma and Haruka told Minami that they’d say goodbye to him at the airport the next day and left him with Torao.

 

It had been the same procedure for the past three years of high school. They’d walk home together until that one crossroads where they had to go into opposite directions. From time to time they decided to take a detour and go on a spontaneous after school date, but other than that it had always been the same.

Until now.

“We’re here.” Minami said.

“Yup.” Torao answered.

They were standing at the crossroads. What followed next was the walk home into different directions. The walk down different paths. They had been walking extremely slowly, hand-in-hand, trying to spend as much time as they could together.

“…I guess it’s time to say farewe---“ Minami was interrupted by Torao’s hug.

“Not a farewell.” Torao whispered. “A see you later, remember?”

“…yes.” the hug grew tighter and more intimate. They didn’t need to express what they were feeling. They could hear each other’s breathing, each other’s heartbeat, even each other’s lightly trembling hands. If that moment could just last forever…

“Are you sure you don’t want to come to the airport tomorrow?” Minami asked.

“Nah. I feel like I might stop you from going if I did.”

“Fufu, I can see that. It’s something a super hero would do, isn’t it?” he smiled.

“Well…” he chuckled. “…Minami.”

“Yes?” their eyes locked. It didn’t need more words, so they simply kissed one last time.

It felt like their first kiss, just that instead of bathing in pouring rain, they were bathed by the setting sun’s golden light. It felt exciting, overwhelming, but at the same time so incredibly bittersweet…

When they let go of each other, Torao was the first one to talk again.

“Well…” he stopped and took a deep breath. “Take care.” and as he said those words, he turned around and started walking. But all of a sudden, two arms hugged him from behind.

“Don’t forget to return the button to me when I’m back, otherwise I’d be troubled.” Minami tried to joke, but Torao could hear him cry. Yet he wouldn’t turn around anymore. _Don’t waver now._

“I won’t forget, it’s a promise after all.”

“…alright.” Minami let go again and turned away as well. “Take care, Torao.”

“I will.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

And with those words, they parted ways on their last after-school day.

 

 

It had been a few weeks since Minami had arrived safely at the academy. He got already used to the life overseas and even found the time to make new friends, even with his packed timetable. And as promised, he and Torao decided to keep in touch by exchanging letters. He made it a rule to only use the fountain pen he received from Touma and Haruka to write those letters. The letters kept him going, they gave him strength.

Until one day they stopped.

 

 

_Five years later._

 

 

“Midou-san, the storyboards for the new chapters are here. Could you take a look at them?”

“Put them on my desk, I’m trying to get in touch with an artist right now.”

“Alright.” the man laid a pile of storyboards onto his desk. Less than a minute later, another one came.

“Boss, there’s been a problem with the printing company.”

“What? Isn’t there one thing they can do properly, I swear to god if they weren’t---ah no, no excuse me, I wasn’t talking to you, yes…” he covered the phone with his hand. “Take care of it as quickly as possible, I’m busy.”

“Yes sir!”

“Please excuse me again, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Midou Torao, editor-in-chief of the western comic department of Marukawa. Yes. Exactly. Regarding the issue we contacted you about last time…”

 

“Hah…” Torao sighed, riding down the elevator.

“E-everything alright, sir?”

“Sure. It’s just been a busy day. Can’t wait to get home.” he stepped out of the elevator as the doors to the ground floor opened.

“Good work today, sir, I wish you a pleasant night!”

“Thanks, see ya tomorrow.” he said and left. When he exited the building he yawned deeply and checked his phone. And even though he had been extremely tired, the blinking message on his phone’s screen seemed to have awoken him again.

His eyes widened and he let go of his briefcase by accident. The small button attached to it with a string made a light jingling sound as it hit the ground.

 

[Our school sure didn’t change much in those years, did it?]

 

He quickly picked up the briefcase and hurried to his car, got in and drove to his old high school. He had to park the car a few streets before the school because it was a no-car-zone in the school’s surroundings. He got out of the car and ran towards the school, until he stopped when he noticed someone standing at the crossroads.

He quickly caught his breath, cleared his throat and acted as if he wasn’t out of breath at all.

“Yo.” Torao said, smiled and tried to sound as cool as possible.

“Good evening, sir.” he answered and smiled as well. “I’d like to have my button back.”

 

 

_The End…_

_…for now._

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY MINAMI!!!
> 
> Thank you very much for reading! If you liked it, feel free to leave a comment and tell me about it, I'd love to read it! OvO
> 
> Have a nice day, Minami. I hope you can become happy with the others.
> 
> PS: I've heard this story needs an epilogue? Hmm...
> 
> (The story was inspired by this [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bl-RL59ick).)


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